During the run-up to the 2023 US Open, No. 2 seed Aryna Sabalenka dropped a sneak peek of the dress she’d don for the fortnight: a pink-hued custom Nike ensemble.
“Can’t wait to get on court and start serving some lewks,” Sabalenka wrote on Instagram about the coral and Noble Red (per Nike) racerback dress with matching Nike Air Zoom NXT shoes.
And serve she has—both “lewks” and a whole bunch of fuzzy yellow balls. In her Round 2 match, the 2023 Australian Open champion served up seven aces and 28 winners to beat Britain’s Jodie Burrage, 6-3, 6-2.
“They always ask our opinion on the ... stuff they’re making for the next collections,” said Sabalenka, when asked about how much she was able to customize her kit. “This dress feels really comfortable, I feel really unique. I’m super happy they chose me to have this unique look.”
I feel like Barbie,” she added with a laugh.
Yes, Mattel’s 64-year-old icon has made more than $1 billion at the box office—and served us a “Summer of Barbie” in the process.
But we say, summer’s over, doll. There’s a new pink dress in town, worn by an even bigger—at six feet tall—icon: Aryna Sabalenka.
